Chasing Waterfalls: Sandiaoling Waterfall Hike + Cafe Hytte
Hello everyone! Happy mid-October! I’m back with an easy hike to see THREE waterfalls + a cafe recommendation, just a really easy getaway from Taipei by local train. This hike is called Sandiaoling 三貂嶺 in New Taipei City’s Ruifang District.
Transportation from Taipei
Take the train from Taipei Main Station or from Nangang Train Station (blue line) to Sandiaoling Train Station. It should take about an hour with local stops and costs approximately 59 NT ($2 USD). Once you get out of the train station, you can walk about 10-15 minutes to Cafe Hytte, which is where the trailhead begins as well.
At the train station, follow the tracks and the Keelung River SOUTH to Cafe Hytte - you can see a small sign near the train station that shows the direction to the cafe.
Sandiaoling Cafe Recommendation
Cafe Hytte (11 AM - 5 PM) is a really cute, hidden gem right at the entrance of the hike. I suggest that you begin there as you will end up at a different train station at the end of the hike. (Dahua Station 大華車站)
Seats are limited, so try to get there early. They serve beer in addition to standard coffee and desserts. I didn’t go for any of the desserts this time around since I didn’t want to be too full, but we did enjoy our 7-11 lunch (fantuan rice balls) before we embarked on the trail. Here are a few of the photos from the cafe! I really enjoyed the space and the cats, even though they left a small gift for visitors on the ground (a dead mouse lol).
Minimum charge of one drink - drinks priced at approximately 100-150 NT ($3-5 USD). Desserts start at 100 NT ($3) for a madeleine, creme puff (choux creme) or 150 ($5) for tiramisu.
Take a Hike!
Alright, time to get going! It’s a shady hike, so you don’t really have to worry about being the harsh afternoon sunshine or anything like that. As you start the hike, the first thing you’ll pass is the Hegu Waterfall in the distance - you can spot it from one of the scenic lookout spots at the beginning of the trail. You’ll keep going until you hit Motian Waterfall, the waterfall in the picture I took of my friend Brandon (top right). After Motian, you’ll hit the Pipa Cave Waterfall, featured in the first photo of me at the top of the blog (taken by my friend Raymond, thanks R!). I loved sitting at the Pipa Cave Waterfall because you can place your feet in the water with a ton of fish swimming around and feel the breeze and the water spray from the waterfall ahead. It’s a gorgeous place to enjoy your lunch or just to take a break. On the other side of the waterfall, you’ll also be able to look over the edge - but don’t get too close, it’s a straight up drop down to the bottom.
After Pipa Cave, you can choose to continue going to Houtong (Cat Village), Shifen Waterfall (Taiwan’s Niagara Falls), Pingxi (Old Street - you can release a lantern here) or continue exploring a small area called Xinliao, which will eventually lead you to a large bridge and end up at Dahua Train Station. We went with the latter and stumbled upon a bunch of really interesting looking plants, fruits and a beautiful small pagoda surrounded by pomelo trees. We traversed through banana trees, slippery rocks, and ran through an area with some stray (?) dogs, so beware of your surroundings if you choose this route! (Is it just me or does the plant below kind of look like fried potstickers with a skirt??? ok maybe I’m just hungry)
We are nearing the end of the hike here! As soon as we see the Keelung River, we’re on the right track and can head to Dahua Train Station (or continue to Shifen Waterfall). The train tracks are actually quite beautiful as they’re surrounded by tall hedges that make for a nice picture. Check out some of the pictures from the bridge and the train tracks below.
And that’s it! A really short, easy hike - I would give it a few hours tops - 2-3 if you want to take it at a leisurely pace. Here’s a few pics of Dahua Train Station for reference - you can take this to Ruifang Train Station and then transfer to a train that will take you back to Nangang or Taipei Main Station and it’ll take about an hour and change for about 50 NT ($1.50).
I hope you enjoyed this little mini-guide, get out there and start exploring!
